Autumn Equinox: How to make the most of it and where to enjoy autumn around the world

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The autumnal equinox (the first day of autumn 2018) occurs on Sunday September 23 this year.

The equinox happens when the equator passes the centre of the sun. This is when the north and south poles of the Earth are not tilted towards or away from the sun, as at other times, but are aligned so as to give, theoretically, the same amount of daylight in both of the Earth's hemispheres.

After the autumnal equinox, the days get shorter and the nights get longer. Traditionally it signified when the farmers bought in the harvest, which perhaps explains why the full moon nearest the equinox is often called the harvest moon. The pagan festivities around this event were replaced on the Christian calendar...

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